The heat and humidity actually smacks you in the face when you arrive in a Houston summer. Quite amazing indeed, social acceptance of large armpit stains, and not altogether different that walking around in a city encased in a large sauna. I would be here for two weeks to work at the cancer center nearby, and was determined to get the full ‘Texan’ experience – with the exception of two-stepping, steak and large hats…all of which I decided would be bad for my health.
The medical center was incredible. A huge establishment serving thousands of patients each day, and I was happy to be working with a large team of accomplished researchers. Determined to impress these fellow nerds, I donned the shirt and tie and proceeded to stand at the bus station for 40 minutes waiting for a bus. This became a regularly scheduled pain-in-the-ass, as I realized that the timetables were printed for show, and that I should feel privileged that a bus turns up at all. Thus, each morning I would arrive bathed in sweat and proceed to the bathroom to attempt to restore myself to a somewhat presentable state.
Outside of work I sought to explore the state and made my way to the Space Center to touch moon rocks and eat astronaut ice-cream, to a wild-west bar with saddle disco balls, as well as some blues and Cajun food. My final weekend I made my way to Austin, which was, and I don’t see how it was possible, hotter than Houston. Undaunted I played my first round of disc golf, and toured the campus and downtown area of this very cool city.
Now, bathed in sweat, it is time to return to South Bend and get some work done. A very busy semester awaits, complete with applications to residency programs, the proposal of my dissertation research, and a new rotation at the regional hospital here in town.
Pictures: The cancer center, a space rocket, the waterfall, a Texas storm coming and the Austin campus.
After three years we had got very used to living together, and so it was really tough to pull away in the car and begin the drive back to the Midwest. I had about 30 hours ahead of me in the next two days, with much of that time to be spent with my thoughts – a frightening prospect at the best of times. I had arranged to stay in Montana and thus set off across Oregon, Idaho, the huge state of Montana, South Dakota and finally my destination of Rochester Minnesota. It is amazing how long you can drive without seeing signs of life, with incredible mountains and stretches of highway. I took a quick detour to see Mount Rushmore, which is pretty amazing to see in person, and provided me with my portion of American history for the trip. Despite the best efforts of various books on tape, Spanish lessons, my weight in snack food and a few phonecalls which dropped each time I came within view of a mountain, it was a pretty rough weekend. I was essentially delirious by Sunday evening when I reached Rochester and could have slept on a granite slab. I also had no interest in seeing my car for as long as possible. I spent the following week with a team at the Mayo Clinic, an impressive institution and a great learning experience. Then it was back into the Red Devil and a relatively brief 7 hour trip back to South Bend and school. The next month would be spent resurrecting my life here at school after my trip away, and then in August it is off to a hospital in Texas and to see what all the fuss about the summer heat is all about.
Pictured: The big men on the mountain, Montana…or South Dakota…no idea.
After a few trips around downtown Portland we were able to find a cute studio apartment just big enough for Jen and Gus. With the help of her family we were able to get it furnished and all setup in no time at all, and before we knew Jen was settled in a brilliant area of the city ready for her program to start. The Northwest area is great, close to parks and grocery stores, cafes and bars, and unfortunately within walking distance of plenty of clothing stores. After a quick weekend trip to Seattle it was time to Jen to start classes. This was going to be quite an adjustment, with a 5.30am wake up call in order to get to class on time. After making sure Gus didn’t cause too much trouble being left alone in the apartment for extended periods, it was time for me to get out of the way and head back across the country. So it is back to our long distance ways, emails and phonecalls aplenty. At least we are on the same continent this time, without a 14 hour flight between us. The next stage in our adventure begins…
Pictured: Jen’s new place, the rose garden nearby, Gus teething? and the famous Seattle Marketplace and first Starbucks.
So it has been many months since I sat down to update this page, and many events have come to pass in what seems a short amount of time. As I write this we are in PortlandOregon, preparing Jennifer’s big move back to the West Coast for school. But to back up a bit, the last time I wrote we had just arrived back from New York for the summer and were preparing for another academic year in South Bend. While the fall semester was relatively uneventful for me, Jen spent her time flying around the country interviewing for her Masters program. After gaining acceptance to many of the top 10 programs in the country she chose OHSU in Portland, a great city and close to family. She would start mid-June and therefore had six months of freedom to enjoy before diving into a hyper-intensive program for two years. It would also mean our return to the long-distant relationship, although perhaps an easier version being in the same country and only a four hour flight apart. We chose one of the more effective coping mechanisms and are currently living in denial of this fact until I leave at the end of June to return to school.
As another brutal Midwestern winter descended upon us we were able to travel much of the spring semester. We had the wonderful wedding of Jen’s sister Steph to Kyle, which was a beautiful event in Southern California. A quick trip to Charlotte for a conference gave us our first view of North Carolina, and then our first trip to Canada, venturing to Montreal for another conference. The city was beautiful and we had plenty of time to see the sites and murder the poor French language.
As we move closer to present day, and the winter began to ease, we drove to Missouri to collect my replacement from a shelter there. Augustus, a very regal name for a very cowardly dog, is a cross between a beagle and a pug and is presently a stomach on four legs. One thing to note has been the phenomenal gas this small dog can produce, to the point you can actually locate him in a room of people based on the expression on their faces. This little guy will be keeping Jen company in Portland for the year, and then probably moving in with me while Jen does her second year rotations. The two weeks of constant supervision, sleep deprivation and houstraining before our departure to the West Coast was by far the most effective form of contraception, and despite it being nothing compared to caring for a child, has made us seriously rethink having children.
So now we are close to our most recent adventure, a final roadtrip across America and Canada to the West Coast and Jen’s home for the next two years. We couchsurfed our way across, Augustus in tow, and checked out the University town of Madison-Wisconsin, the amazing hospitality of aspiring bed and breakfast owners in Minnesota, and messed around with helicopters and night vision goggles at the Air Force base in North Dakota, before jumping across the border into Canada.
In Canada we drove through the Canadian Rockies and spent time exploring the spectacular BanffNational Park. Incredible views in every direction and a wonderful way to sample the beauty of the country. One complaint however is the astounding price of alcohol and has made me rethink the sacrifices needed for a universal health-care system.
Pictured:
The worlds largest truck, the sleeping dog, Banff National Park, a Subway lunch with a view and Montreal cityscape.
